I got back a little bit ago from the National Junior Olympics Matches in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. I had the honor of coaching a couple of my shooters there and also serving as a range officer at a few of the matches. My kids did great, both shooting PRs, and I got to enjoy the awesome environment full of VERY focused athelets. If you ever have the chance to spend some time at the OTC, do it. You will not be disappointed.

While there, I spent a lot of time thinking about how we introduce young people to pistol shooting. The advent of the supported shooting program for kids (and adults) has certainly been a step in the right direction, but all too often I see small hands struggling with big guns. Most of our air pistols are pretty nose heavy anyway, and when you are trying to learn a solid hold, we are doing kids no favors with a "one size fits all" grip that doesn't fit.

It was one of my team's shooters with an extraordinarily small hand that got me started making 3d-printed grips over a year ago. She had always shot a SW41 with a standard target grip and struggled to find her way. It wasn't until I made for her that first tiny, tiny grip that she was able to finally get control of the gun and immediately her scores started to rise. Since then I've made small and very small grips for Pardinis, Rugers, and others. I even made my first tiny Toz grip a week ago for a kid in California who shot the lights out in Colorado Springs at the JO match.

So if you'll pardon the commercial, I want to offer the opportunity for fellow coaches, clubs and anyone who works with a group of kids to get some small and very small grips into their hands. For the rest of the month of May, anyone can get three or more wood composite small or extra small air or standard pistol grips (of any type) for only $89 each. Shoot me an email and let me know how I can help.

We've got to do better by these kids if we want them to grow as shooters.